INDEPENDENCE: The Orlando Magic plan to offer Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin a position as director of basketball operations after the Cavs complete their playoff run, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported.
Griffin continues to work without a contract for next season. Should he not receive a new deal by the end of the Cavs’ postseason, the Magic can begin contract talks with Griffin, Windhorst said.
But sources told Windhorst that Griffin could remain with the Cavs if he receives an extension.
The Magic’s interest in Griffin first surfaced in an April 21 report by Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical that said Magic CEO Alex Martins and other top team officials were intrigued by the possibility of getting Griffin.
Eight days later, the Magic have apparently settled on Griffin, and Windhorst reported there have been no “meaningful” talks between Griffin and the defending champion Cavs.
Magic Assistant GM Matt Lloyd is working as the interim general manager and was expected to be a candidate to replace Rob Hennigan, fired on April 13 after the team went 132-278, second-worst in the NBA during the past five seasons. Hennigan was 30, making him the league’s youngest GM, when he was hired in June, 2012.
Griffin joined the Cavs as vice president of basketball operations in September 2010 after spending 17 seasons with the Phoenix Suns. Griffin served as acting GM for the final 33 games of the 2013-14 season after Chris Grant was fired that February. Griffin was officially hired that May.
LeBron James endorsed Griffin in an interview with ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin for a story posted in early April.
“It makes no sense why he shouldn’t get an extension,” James told McMenamin. “He’s tried to make every move happen — to better this team to be able to compete for a championship. So we wouldn’t be in this position, obviously, without him and without the guys that are here — from the coaching staff to the players to Griff. He’s been a big piece of it.”
Serge Ibaka’s impact
As the Cavs open the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Toronto Raptors on Monday at Quicken Loans Arena, the series might be much different than the 2016 conference finals, when the Cavs ousted the Raptors in six games.
In 2016, the Raptors were without 7-foot center Jonas Valanciunas, sidelined with a sprained ankle in the first four games. Since then, they have added 6-foot-10 power forward Serge Ibaka, acquired from the Orlando Magic in a Feb. 14 trade, and shooting guard/small forward P.J. Tucker, traded by the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 23.
“You get a guy who is a great shot blocker, a great one-on-one defender and he can also make a shot,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said of Ibaka. “He can make a 3-point shot now. His mid-range game is very nice also. He adds a different dimension to their team. I know they were talking about being better defensively, so adding Ibaka and P.J. Tucker really helps that for them.”
Ibaka averaged 12.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.3 blocks in six games of the first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Chosen three times to the NBA’s all-defensive team, Ibaka has been to the playoffs in seven of his eight seasons, the first six with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Adds a guy that has experience, Finals experience as well,” James said of Ibaka. “Also a guy who can stretch the floor and create, also protect the rim at times. It definitely was a good piece for them, as well as P.J. Tucker, too.”
Asked how the presence of Ibaka would change his role, Cavs forward Kevin Love said, “Just a different dynamic. Definitely shooters with both him and [Patrick] Patterson out there. He brings a ton of energy. Played really well in round one, so he just gives them a whole different look. All his playoff experience and playing in a lot of big games, he really helps them.”
Small or big?
For Game 4 against the Bucks, Raptors coach Dwane Casey brought Valanciunas off the bench and went small, replacing him with 6-4 Norman Powell. Although that lineup went 3-0, most observers expect Casey to go big against the Cavs.
“When they went small with Powell against Milwaukee, it was the right move because they played small, they’re fast and moving Ibaka to the 5 and playing faster helped them out in that series,” Lue said.
But Lue wouldn’t speculate on what Casey will do against the Cavs.
“I’m just happy to be here,” Lue said.
Valanciunas told the Toronto Star he’s fine with whatever Casey decides.
“I’m good. I don’t feel bad if I don’t start,” Valanciunas told the Star. “I’ve just got to do my job. As long as we’re winning, I’m OK.”
Too many minutes?
There was some angst from the national media when James averaged 44 minutes in the four-game sweep of the Indiana Pacers in the first round after he led the league with a 37.8-minute average in the regular season. But Lue wasn’t concerned Wednesday.
“I don’t understand why people make a big deal out of his minutes. He had a week off before the series started, we won four straight games and then he had a week off again. Next he might play 48 minutes,” Lue said. “There’s no back-to-backs. ’Bron today just said he feels worse when he doesn’t play. So we’ve just got to gauge it and see how he feels.
“He said he feels great. He didn’t really have a defensive assignment. He was able to roam off guys during the series and it was good for him. With him playing the minutes he played during course of the regular season, it has helped him in the playoffs. Now he is able to play those 42, 43 minutes because he’s used to it, his body can take it. I’m not worried about what outside people say.”
As for feeling worse when he’s not playing, James said Thursday, “It’s just how my body reacts.” But he admitted the week off between series is a good mental break.
“As far as physically, I’ve played so many games over the years, the best break for me is probably when I’m done,” James said. “As far as the mental thing, I think any time you are able to decompress a little bit throughout the postseason it helps you.”
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.